Ibushi Is Interviewed By Elementary School Students, Reveals Eating Habits

(This is an interview series where elementary school students meet their favorite athletes and celebrities)

Asuka Watanabe, one of the correspondents, were influenced by her father, who is a fan of pro-wrestling. She describes Ibushi, “Out of the ring, he’s usually very quiet, but in the ring, he uses moves like a superman.” She interviewed Ibushi with her bother, Yoshihiko.

Yoshihiko: What made you get into the pro-wrestling world?

Ibushi: When I was in the fifth grade, I saw a pro-wrestling video which my bother had. I was so fascinated, like, ‘I’ve never seen a world like this.’ After that, my life became all about pro-wrestling. The first time I did backflip was when I was in elementary, and some of the moves I use today were the ones I created at that time, too. Pro-wrestling helped me with everyday life. For example, when I got injured, or I got stuck in studies, I asked myself, ‘How would my hero, the Great Sasuke, handle this situation?’

Yoshihiko: What was your favorite school lunch?

Ibushi: I always loved curry rice. Now I like to drink Coca-Cola and eat cheese.

Asuka: That sounds fattening.

Ibushi: When I eat junk food, it motivates me to exercise. If I only eat healthy food, it makes me lazy, because I think I don’t have to exercise. So, for me, it works to eat high-calorie food, sometimes. Maybe it’s the opposite of how everyone else does it.

Asuka: You say that you were always a shy boy.

Ibushi: I had anxiety about speaking in public, I think that came from low self-esteem. But pro-wrestling gave me confidence in myself, so I overcame it.

Yoshihiko: Do you always get nervous before you get in the ring?

Ibushi: Yes, I get the same nerves when I fight in front of 100 people or big venues, like the Tokyo Dome.But it keeps me aware, and helps me to avoid getting injured.

Asuka: What do you do when you don’t feel like training?

Ibushi: When I feel like that in the gym, I just lie down in the ring and do nothing for a while. But sometimes new moves come from these moments. Nothing is wasted. Even when I hurt myself, I learn something new from it. There’s always something meaningful. Nothing is wasted in life.

After the interview…

Yoshihiko: He was friendlier than I thought.

Asuka: He was awesome. I was surprised how hard his muscles felt, when he let me touch them.